10 Easy DIY Dog Toys

Dogs can’t tell the difference between a luxury dog toy and a dollar store dog toy. All they know is that it’s given with love and that it’s theirs. The following are ten simple dog toy ideas that will give your service dog hours of stimulation without breaking the bank!

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Bouncy Sock

This DIY is a great way to use those socks who have lost their other half. It also satisfies your dog’s needs to run around with your socks—except this one is clean. 

What You Need: 
– One tennis ball
– One sock

Instructions: 
Push a tennis ball into a sock. Make sure the tennis ball gets all the way to the toe area. Knot the sock near the tennis ball area. Throw the sock ball and watch your dog enjoy the bouncing sock.

Food Finder

Dogs love food, and they also love a challenge. Hiding snacks in a tennis ball turns it into a fun snack dispenser.

What You Need: 
– One tennis ball
– Doggy snacks
– A knife or box cutter

Instructions: 
Choose a seam on the tennis ball and cut a small slit along the seam. Stuff the dog snacks into the slit. Throw the ball towards your dog and let the fun begin. 

Treat Bottle

What You Need:
– One empty plastic bottle
– Doggy snacks 
– Denim strips

Instructions: 
Unscrew the lid from the bottle’s neck and discard the lid. Push the dog treats and denim into the bottle. Watch your dog puzzle over this delicious toy. 

Chew Toy from Denim 

What You Need: 
– Old denim jeans
– Scissors 

Instructions: 
For this project, make sure to use thick denim. Don’t use stretch denim or chambray cloth, or your dog will tear the toy to shreds in no time. Cut the denim into long strips. Gather the trips together and knot one end very tightly. Then braid the pieces together. Knot at the other end when complete. When done, you should have a braided chew toy that will occupy your dog for hours. 

Iceberg Treats 

What You Need: 
– Small dog toys
– A plastic bowl or container
– Water 
– Your freezer 

Instructions: 
Take your dog’s favorite small dog toys, place them in the container. Then add water into the container and fill it to the top. Once the container is filled, freeze the container overnight. When the contents are fully frozen, slide the entire amount out. It’s best to do this treat outside in warm weather for a cool summer day treat. Note: If you feel exceptionally creative, you can use broth to freeze the toys instead of water. You can also freeze fruit pieces or dog treats! 

Floppy Stuffed Animal

What You Need: 
– A clean stuffed animal
– Scissors
– Needle and thread
– Fabric strips (optional)

Instructions: 
If you have an old stuffed animal lying around, you’ve got yourself a dog toy. Simply remove the stuffing and sew the (un-stuffed) animal back up. You’ve got a floppy toy for your dog! If you’re feeling extra adventurous, stuff the animal halfway with thick fabric strips for an extra treat when your dog finally chews it open. Just be aware of the confetti-like celebration your dog will leave in their wake! 

Frozen Hand

What You Need: 
– A clean old, thick glove
– Broth or water
– Dog treats 
– Your freezer

Instructions: 
Place the dog treats at the end of each finger, and knot the fingers of the glove. The knot prevents the treats from slipping out. Soak the glove in broth and freeze. Give to your dog after it’s frozen. Just like the Iceberg treats, this is a perfect sunny day toy for a dog. 

Simple Peanut Jar

What You Need: 
– A plastic jar
– Peanut butter

Instructions:
This dog toy DIY is simplest when you’re at the end of a peanut butter jar. Instead of scraping the sides clean, just hand it over to the dog to do the dirty work. If you don’t have an almost empty peanut butter jar, any durable plastic jar will do. You can smear peanut butter onto the insides of the jar. If you’d like, you can mix in crumbled doggy treats into the peanut butter. Freezing the jar and peanut butter also gives an extra treat for those warm days.

The Rope Throw

What You Need: 
– A piece of old rope
– One tennis ball

Instructions: 
You can cut or drill a hole in each side of the ball. Make the holes large enough to slide the piece of rope through. Slide the ball into the middle of the rope. Form tight knots on either side of the ball to keep the ball in place. This creates a toy to play fetch with. 

Dog Feeder 

What You Need: 
– One foot PVC pipe
– 2 PVC pipe caps
– Doggy treats 

Instructions:
This DIY takes a little for elbow grease than the others, but it’s worth the effort. Mainly for large dogs, this PVC pipe dog feeder will last through multiple playtimes. Carefully drill holes throughout the pipe. Sand the rough edges of the holes down with the sandpaper. Wash the pipe with soap and water and let dry. When dry, insert the dog treats and cap the ends. Your dog will love trying to get the treats out of this simple and sturdy toy! 

Keep Your Dog Safe

For all of these DIY toys, as with any dog toy, supervise your dog when they’re playing. Make sure that the dog toys and snacks are the appropriate sizes for your dog. Have fun making these doggy diversions. Your dog will thank you for them!